Lendl Continues To Crush Connors

April 1, 1985|By Gary Silvers

Ivan Lendl used a blistering serve Sunday to dismantle Jimmy Connors, 6-3, 6-2, in the final of the Paine Webber Classic tennis tournament for his first victory in a final over the world's second-ranked player. The $50,000 triumph came on Connors' new home court at Sanibel Harbour and prevented him from defending his 1984 Paine Webber championship. For Lendl, it was a third consecutive straight-set victory over Connors, who sits one notch higher than the native of Czechoslovakia in the rankings. Lendl: ''He was trying very hard, but it was very hot.'' Connors said he had a ''bit of a recuperation problem'' after a three-set, semifinal victory over Andres Gomez Saturday. Connors: ''I was tired before I got out there.''

McENROE ROLLS. Top-seeded John McEnroe, the undisputed No. 1 tennis star in the world, trounced second-seeded Anders Jarryd, 6-4, 6-1, in the final of the Fila Indoor Trophy Tournament to post his fourth victory in as many events this year. The triumph at Milan's Lido Sports Palace enabled the American to collect $60,000 and boosted his season's prize money to $283,000.

KING RULES COURT. Billie Jean King swept the Tennis Classics Snoopy Cup III, taking first place titles Sunday in the women's singles and mixed doubles competition at Santa Rosa, Calif. King, who won $8,600 in the five-day tournament, beat Kerry Reid, 6-1, 6-4, in singles competition. In the men's singles competition, Marty Riessen took first place, beating Bob Lutz. Riessen and Lutz teamed up in doubles to beat Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle. Lutz and King took the mixed doubles title by defeating Riessen and Wade.

AUTO RACING

RACE POSTPONED. The Valleydale 500 Grand National stock car race at Bristol (Tenn.) International Raceway was postponed after a steady rain hit the area moments before the scheduled start. The race, which was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., officially was postponed at 2:45 p.m. as the rain continued to fall on the .533-mile, high-banked oval. NASCAR officials said the 500-lap, 266.5-mile event would be run next Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.

TRACK

AMERICAN RECORD. Dennis Lewis, a freshman at Long Beach City College, broke Dwight Stones' American record in the high jump Saturday, clearing 7 feet 8 1/4 at a meet at Southern California. Lewis, of Ypsilanti, Mich., bettered Stones' 1984 mark of 7-8 on his second attempt.

WORTHWHILE TRIP. Clemson University's drug case might have ended quietly and without criminal indictments if the suspicious younger brother of a dead track star had not come to America and contacted police, The Greenville News reported. Paul Jaspers, 18, came from The Netherlands in November to find out if a prescription drug given to his brother, Augustinius, by Clemson coaches could have caused the Dutch athlete's death. A student-athlete accompanying Jaspers told campus police he had received the same drug from a coach. His statement led to an expanded investigation and the disclosure of drug abuse within the school's athletic programs, the paper said.

WRESTLING

RUSSIANS ROMP. The Soviet Union took its fourth consecutive World Cup Wrestling championship by defeating the United States, 7-3, in the final round of the round-robin competition held at the University of Toledo's Centennial Hall.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

AROUND THE STATE. Scott Hemond smacked a home run in the bottom of the ninth to give South Florida a 6-5 Sun Belt Conference victory over Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky (17-10) is demanding a forfeit because USF (29-14) used a player who allegedly was not on the 22-man roster for the three-game series. A decision is expected today. . . . Elsewhere, Florida Atlantic pounded Rollins, 13-4, and Eckerd edged Saint Leo, 8-7.